Umbrella.



No. 842,094. PATBNTEDJAN. z2, 1907.

Bumm. UMBRELLA.

/NVENTDH PEYTON GREEN.

A TTOHNEYS PEYTON GREEN, OF WYTHEVILLE, VIRGINIA.

UNIBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed September 22, 1906. Serial No. 335.714:-

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, PEYTON GREEN, a citizen of :the United States, .and a resident of Wytheville, in the county of Wythe and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in umbrellas, and relates particularly to the means whereby an umbrella is held open and closed by the operation of a runner in connection with a stick; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of an umbrella-stick provided with my improvements, parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a somewhat different construction from that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail `view showing the construction of the thimble or runner.. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate different forms of latches, and Fig. 6 is a detail cross-section Von about line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

The umbrella-stick A, except. as hereinafter described, and the cover, ribs, and stretchers may be of vordinary construction. The stretchers B are jointed at their inner ends to the sliding notch C, to which is secured a sleeve D, whose end D is connected with the notch C, and its opposite end D2 is formed to fit and slide along the stick A, and whose intermediate portion is enlarged to aiford sui'Iicient capacity for the latch E. I thus provide a combined notch and runner, as the runner-sleeve is iiXed to the notch, and form the runner-sleeve with an intermediate enlarged portion to receive the latch, the ends of the sleeve being contracted to properly slide along the stick in the use of the invention. The stick A is provided at a and a', respectively, adjacent to its tip and handle ends, with seats for engagement by the latch on the runner, and these seats are shown in Fig. l as shoulders facing toward their respective ends of the stick, so that when the latch. is engaged with the seat a it will hold the umbrella open, and when it is engaged with the seat a it will hold the umbrella closed, as will be readily understood from the drawings.

The sleeve or thimble D is provided within its intermediate or enlarged portion with the latch E, which preferably is of spring metal,

and is secured at one end by soldering' or otherwise to the sleeve D near one of its tubular ends D or D2 and operates longitudinally at its other end within an eye or loop d2 within the sleeve D, so the spring-latch E may expand and contract longitudinally and may slide during such operations wi thin the'y loop or eye (Z2. rlhis spring-latch E ordinarily has sufficient resilience lto serve its purpose; but it may be supplemented or reinforced, if desired, by a coil or other spring E3, bearing between the central portion ofthe latch E andthe sleeve or thimble D, as shown inthe drawings. This spring-latch E is provi fled at its middle with a portion to engage with the seats a and a on the stick. As shown in Fig. l, the engaging portion 'c is in the form of a head projecting toward the stick and pressing iirmly against the stick, so that when it comes opposite the shoulders (L and a it will spring into engagement therewith. Manifestly the form of this engaging portion may be varied, and I may deem it advisable to employ the construction shown in Fig. 2, in which the central engaging portion G of the spring-latch G is recessed to engage shoulders 1 and 2, secured upon the stick, as shown in said Fig. 2. The angles of the engaging portions of the latch and stick should be somewhat rounded to permit the easy play of the spring when discngaging it by a slight pressure upward or downward when it is desired to raise or lower the umbrella. Where necessary, in case the seats on the stick should weaken the same, the stick may be reinforced by metal portions in which the seats are formed, as shown at F in Fig. 1.

The sleeve or thimble D may have its ends D and D2 integral, as shown in Fig. l, orsaid parts may be made separate and connected by a slip-joint and a rivet, as shown at'H in Fig. 3, it being understood that the sleeve or thimble will be so connected with the notch .as to prevent any independentturning of the sleeve or thimble so the latch will always be in position to engage with the seats on the stick. The latch may be formed of a iiat metal strip, as shown in Fig. 4, or of a round metal wire, as shown at E10 in Fig. 5, without departing from some of the principles of the invention.

It will be understood that in operation the spring-latch will be disengaged by small pressure upon the thimble in the,direction IOO i of length of the stick when it is desired to adjust the umbrella from open to closed position, or vice versa.

By my invention it will be noticed I provide a combination thimble and rib runner or notch which has all the advantages of a thimble and in addition has an automatic self-acting contained spring which enables me to dispense with the separate upper and lower springs now in use in umbrellas and placed in the handle, concealing the spring so it is not likely to be damaged or injured, and the two small notches in the handle forming a seat for the latch-spring do not weaken the stick to the same extent as the long slots necessaryfor springs now in common use, and the handle will not get warped, like the ordinary handles do, because of the slits when they are violently twisted on their aXis.

What I claim isl. In an umbrella the combination substantially as described, of the stick provided near its tip and-handle ends with shoulders facing toward their respective ends, the combined notch and runner having a notch and a sleeve or thimble secured thereto and sliding upon the stick and the intermediate enlarged portion forming a receptacle for a latch, and a spring-latch arranged within said enlarged portion. of the thimble and secured at one end thereto, and having its other end free and provided midway between its ends with a head projecting toward the stick and forming an engaging portion for engaging the shoulders of the stick, a spring within the thimble or sleeve, and pressing the latch toward the stick, and a loop or eye within the thimble or sleeve and forming a guide in which the free end of the latch is longitudinally movable, substantially as set forth.

2. In an umbrella the combination of the stick having seats for engagement by a latch and a' runner-sleeve or thimble having the tubular end portions sliding upon the stick and the intermediate or central enlarged portion forming a receptacle for a latch, and a spring-latch containedwithin the sleeve or thimble and having midway between its ends and within the enlarged portion of said sleeve or thimble an engaging portion springing toward the stick to engage with the seats thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. A runner thimble or sleeve for umbrellas having tubular end portions to fit and slide along an umbrella-stick and an intermediate or central enlarged portion to receive a latch, and a latch extending along within said central enlarged portion and secured at one end to the thimble and free at its other end, said latch being provided midwaybetween its ends with an engaging portion within the central enlarged porticn of the thimble for engagement with the seats on the umbrella-stick, substantially as set forth.

4. An umbrella-stick having adjacent to its tip and handle ends shoulders facing toward their respective ends of the stick, a runner sleeve or thimble sliding along the stick, and a spring exten-ding longitudinally within said runner sleeve and thimble and provided midway between its ends with an engaging portion in the form of a head projecting toward and bearing against the stick and adapted to spring into engagement with the shoulders thereof whereby to hold the umbrella open or closed, substantially as set forth.

5. A runner-thimble for umbrellas adapted to fit and slide along an umbrella-stick, and a latch extending longitudinally within said thimble and provided midway between its ends with an engaging portion to cooperate with a seat or seats on an umbrella-stick, substantially as set forth.

PEYTON GREEN. Witnesses:

(1N RIDER, W. H. CAssEL'L'. 

